Villians - Pride and Prejudice

Villains?

As one reads Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, you would not think that there are any real villains, but when you really read the novel you discover that there are numerous villains. In this romantic story about finding love, or not, each protagonist has an antagonist, one that is their very own. Sometimes within the novel the reader cannot tell the difference between the protagonist and the antagonist. So lets look at a few of the characters in this novel, and see just who or maybe what antagonist belongs to these characters.

Let’s begin with the most prevalent character, Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth is a fantastically real character. She prides herself on being able to only spend a few minutes with someone and be able to know exactly what kind of person they are. This, to her, is one of her more enduring characteristics. As the story progresses she becomes the judge of many a character. In most cases she is correct in her judgments, but in the same regard she is undeniably wrong. Outside of the family we are first introduced to and so is the family, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, at a ball. Mr. Darcy seems rude, stuck-up and just plain obnoxious. Elizabeth discerns from the very beginning that he is a shallow man who is only in love with himself. The reason for this judgment is purely, because Mr. Darcy insults Elizabeth and her family, although not to her face. Mr. Darcy confides in Mr. Bingley that he sees no women fit to be danced with at the ball, Elizabeth overhears this conversation and at that moment decides he is not an honorable man. This is were

we realize that Elizabeth’s antagonist is within herself. As the title implies it is her pride and her prejudice that become her villains.

Now some of the characters in this novel do give some of Elizabeth’s judgments credit. Mr. Collins and Mr. Bingley are two very good examples. She perceives Mr. Bingley as a good natured, and very well liked man, much like her sister Jane, who in the end marries Mr. Bingley. As we read on we soon see that her assumptions about Mr. Bingley are founded. In the case of Mr. Collins, she is also correct in her judgments. She perceives that Mr. Collins is sort of a suck-up, with no honor about himself, and as we read the story line written for him, we come to realize that Elizabeth’s presumptions, again, are right. Now don’t misunderstand my writings, although she does have some, very little, success with her antagonist, it is very obvious that these faults are the reasons why she looks at the world without rose colored glasses and these presumptions are the reasons she has a hard time forgetting, forgiving and being able to admit that she is in the wrong.

I think at this point we shall move onto the object of Elizabeth’s affections, Mr. Darcy. When we are first introduced to Mr. Darcy at the ball, Austen wants us to see him as Elizabeth does, but if we really read and look at Mr. Darcy we will understand that, that is not really his manner. (Now because this essay is not done in the school of formalism, I can say that I believe that Elizabeth falls for Mr. Darcy from the very beginning and that is why, when she overhears the conversation between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, she takes such offense.) Mr. Darcy’s antagonist, along with Elizabeth, is within himself. His pride and his shyness become his villains, although what kind of

story would we have if he had not been so insufferable. Mr. Darcy is a man of wealth and society, and to him, this is his pride speaking, being in love with Elizabeth would only tarnish his families good name. Of course we see after just a